Parliamentary speaker Cho discusses energy, defense cooperation with Croatian president

National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik engaged in a series of meetings with Croatian leaders, aiming to foster energy and defense cooperation between the two nations, according to his office on Saturday. During a meeting with Croatian President Zoran Milanovic in Zagreb on Friday, Cho emphasized the longstanding friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, which were formalized in 2023. Cho is currently on a four-nation tour to Italy, Vatican City, Croatia, and Greece spanning nine days.

In a separate discussion with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Cho reiterated the importance of strengthening ties in the economic, cultural, defense, and energy sectors. Notably, last month, South Korean defense company Hanwha Aerospace reached a significant arms deal with Croatia, exporting 18 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) valued at approximately 640 billion won (US$477 million).

This marks the first major arms agreement between the two nations, paving the way for broader partnership opportunities, including industrial collaboration and military logistics support. Croatia is now the fourth European nation to procure the Chunmoo system, following Poland, Estonia, and Norway. The MLRS boasts an operational range of up to 80 kilometers and is equipped for both precise targeted strikes and cluster attacks against multiple enemy targets.